VOORHEES, N.J. - Around the NHL there were players being held out of practices Monday while many others were on edge wondering if it was their last day with their current team.

Trade deadline day has that effect on you.

For the Flyers, there was no such angst. No reason to worry. They were told by general manager Paul Holmgren that no one was being traded, and they were happy about that.

"There was a point last season when I told our guys I wasn't going to make any changes and I told them the same thing this year - that I wasn't going to disrupt anything," Holmgren said. "I like this team and where we're at. I feel good about that. I've been a man of my word."

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While Holmgren tinkered - adding Kris Versteeg two weeks ago, picking up Nick Boynton off the waiver wire Saturday and trading for minor leaguer center Tom Sestito - the GM did so without touching the Flyers' roster.

"To be honest, I haven't thought about it much," coach Peter Laviolette said of the trade deadline. "I'm more concerned with our guys in practice. It's always a day that is a little bit edgy, but we're thinking of the work we have to do."

The Flyers put in a hard shift of work Monday. Laviolette skated them hard, had them participate in physical drills and had people who lost certain battles in practice have to do pushups.

It was a reminder of just how poorly they played over the final two periods of an ugly 4-1 loss to the lowly Ottawa Senators Saturday.

"(Monday) was a good day and we need a lot more of those this month," Laviolette said. "We need to make sure we're hitting the end of the year and in shape to charge hard."

One player who supported Laviolette's taskmaster approach Monday was Danny Briere, who has cooled off considerably, scoring only two goals in 12 games during February after potting 26 goals in his first 47 contests.

"Things haven't been as smooth lately for everybody, and I think it was good - a little kick in the behind," Briere said. "It gets us going and puts us back on track. I know we've been saying for the past week that's our challenge, to get ready for the playoffs. But little things like that make sure we're in shape and ready to compete. I think it's going to go a long way.

"One of the things Peter has been stressing is you look at the end of the season as mid-April. Well, for us, the goal is not mid-April. The goal is the beginning of June. It's a long way out. We're just starting March. You can't let yourself go for the next four months. I think (tough practices are) a good thing."

Taking part in the stiffer than usual practice environs were a couple of familiar faces out with injuries, Chris Pronger (right hand) and Blair Betts (left ring finger), along with newcomer Boynton.

Boynton, 32, has bounced around the NHL and was most recently in Chicago as a fill-in defenseman. He happened to be in the lineup for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals last spring and celebrated winning the Stanley Cup here.

Boynton, who has gained a reputation for his physicality, even going so far as to knock former Blackhawks teammate Marian Hossa out of the lineup when he checked him in practice, announced his arrival in Philly with a thumping check to James van Riemsdyk Monday. That's Boynton's reputation; to play the game hard both when it counts and in practice.

"Things change over 11 years, but I know what kind of coach (Laviolette) is and he's a real good coach," said Boynton, who played for Laviolette in the AHL with the Providence Bruins. "We know each other. He's no different."

Boynton, who has previously played on teams with both Versteeg and Sean O'Donnell, said he learned a lot about the Flyers playing them in the Cup finals last season.

"You go from the way they got into the playoffs to the run they went on, they were one shot, one game away from winning the Cup," he said. "It's unbelievable the ride they went on last year. It shows in the standings, the confidence and the way it's carried over this year. It should be exciting."

As for Pronger and Betts, both appear to be recovering nicely from their injuries and will both dress Thursday against Toronto.